Councillors have called for a police “blitz” on cyclists who ride on pavements in Cambridge.

At a recent meeting of the city council’s north area committee it was claimed Chesterton residents were afraid to leave their homes after being “abused” by cyclists using the pavement.

Addressing the meeting on Thursday night (December 15) Labour’s Mike Sargeant said it was a problem regularly raised by his constituents.

Cambridge city councillor Mike Sargeant

He said: “It is an issue with me on the doorstep, to such a degree that many people are not comfortable coming out of their gardens because of the cyclists cycling past on the pavement.

“You could argue it’s a relatively low-level crime compared to some of the things we’re talking about, but if local residents are not comfortable where they live and walking on the pavements, and being abused by cyclists, then it’s not a very satisfactory situation.”

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He cited recent police “blitzes” on cyclists riding without lights, and called for a similar approach to those on the pavement.

“I would suggest that a high-profile blitz on people cycling on pavements would be appropriate from time to time, as I think at the moment people believe they can cycle on pavements with impunity," he said.

However fellow Labour councillor Peter Sarris said young cyclists should be encouraged to use the pavement, to avoid the city’s “dangerous” roads.

Cambridge city councillor Peter Sarris

“I see more and more parents encouraging really very, very young children to be cycling on the roads, in ways that I think are quite dangerous," he said.

“Some children I would like to see encouraged more to use the pavement, because I think some parents are getting them on the roads far too soon.”